City of Life and Death (2009)
Kernel Score: 85% · 235 ratings · Rated R
Genres: Drama, History, War
Released: 2009-04-22
Runtime: 132 minutes
Where to watch City of Life and Death
- Free with ads: Kanopy
US availability, updated 2026-10-22.
Overview
In 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army has just captured Nanjing, then-capital of the Republic of China. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a six week period wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed.
City of Life and Death parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that City of Life and Death is a harrowing R-rated war drama depicting the Nanking Massacre, including mass murder and war crimes against civilians.
- Violence & scariness: Intense — Depicts historical mass murder, war crimes, and the Nanking Massacre with intense, disturbing wartime brutality.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official R rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like City of Life and Death
If you liked City of Life and Death, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- The Flowers of War (2011) — 83%
- Casualties of War (1989) — 81%
- The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959) — 91%
- Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) — 80%
- Empire of the Sun (1987) — 85%
- Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) — 85%
- The Eight Hundred (2020) — 76%
- Escape from Sobibor (1987) — 80%
Director
Lu Chuan
Cast
- Liu Ye as Lu Jianxiong
- Gao Yuanyuan as Miss Jiang
- Hideo Nakaizumi as Kadokawa
- John Paisley as John Rabe
- Beverly Peckous as Minnie Vautrin
- Fan Wei as Mr. Tang
- Qin Lan as Mrs. Tang
- Ryu Kohata as Officer Osamu Ida
- Jiang Yiyan as 'Xiao Jiang' Jiang Xiangjun
- Yao Di as 'May' Zhou Xiaomei
City of Life and Death FAQ
Is City of Life and Death good?
City of Life and Death has an 85% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 235 audience ratings.
Where can I watch City of Life and Death?
In the US you can watch it free with ads on Kanopy.
Is City of Life and Death OK for kids?
City of Life and Death is rated R. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that City of Life and Death is a harrowing R-rated war drama depicting the Nanking Massacre, including mass murder and war crimes against civilians.
What movies are like City of Life and Death?
If you liked City of Life and Death, try The Flowers of War, Casualties of War, The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity and Tora! Tora! Tora!.